Coltrane PDF
Coltrane PDF
Transcription
110 New Coltrane Solos?
The Works Of John Coltrane Volumes 11 & 12
Saxophone Journal 1
scription” as the stage setting for this quence is a repetition of a musical else, that’s all.
little item which I’m sure you’ll get a phrase at another pitch, usually a half- It was as if by design, he was creat-
big kick out of. step (chromatically) or a whole step ing ideas that were the antithesis of
However, after reading this piece (diatonically) above or below the musical logic as we know it and/or
you can still rest assured that I did my original pitch. himself. In other words, in his quest
best to remain objective in my work For some reason, to me, Coltrane for uniqueness and individuality, he
throughout this new set of Coltrane had the ideal sound to play a se- was playing against himself. Thus, he
transcriptions. Please feel free to write quence. Thus, I have waited for more always sounded “right,” but not nec-
me for a list of the new solos and than thirty years to hear that almighty essarily “correct.”
other information related to this repeating of an idea on different scale At my young age of sixteen years, I
project. steps as only a master player such as used to listen to Coltrane records
Now, on a lighter note, here’s a Mr. John Coltrane would and/or waiting and imagining my great se-
quaint little Andrew White/John could do. quence coming, but it never came.
Coltrane story. Coltrane recorded his Traneing In became my fantasy piece Trane had too much creative ingenuity
tune, Traneing In on August 23, 1957, of music for this sequence to happen for that kind of predictable simplicity.
for the Prestige Record Company. The on. The A sections are 12-bar blues in He knew there was much more artistic
recording was widely heralded for its B-flat. The “bridge,” “B,” or middle mileage in playing an image of a
bluesy/groove feeling and long form: section chord structure was A-flat 7, phrase than there was in performing
A-12 bars, A-12 bars, B-8 bars, and A- A-flat 7, G7, G7, G-flat 7, G-flat 7, F7, the real idea, so you never heard him
12 bars. Coltrane also recorded F7. This “bridge” lent itself beautifully play the “real thing.” I’d break out
Traneing In in an up-tempo version to great sequential ideas with its laughing and sometimes I’d even pick
titled Locomotion one month later on downward harmonic motion. Traneing up my own saxophone and play “it”
September 15, 1957. It’s included on In has stuck with me ever since the the way I wanted “it” to be, all the
his Blue Train recording (Blue Note very first time I heard it back in 1958 while laughing at the idea of how
BST81577). at the tender age of sixteen. It has ridiculous and absurd what I was
In 1977, I released transcriptions of stayed in the back of my mind all of doing actually was!
two live versions of Traneing In: these years as something I’d love to Well anyway, on November 19, 1962,
WJC#409 from Stockholm, November hear John Coltrane play a sequence John Coltrane “did it” just for me in
19, 1962, and WJC#415 from on. But, deep down inside me, I’ve the solo now numbered #492. He
Stockholm, October 22, 1963. Both always had to face a bold fact. I knew played a sequence on “the bridge to
versions are played at different tempi all along that Trane would never play chorus number two” of Traneing In.
from the original studio recorded a sequence. He wasn’t that kind of an You should have heard it. It was so
version made in 1957. #409 is a fast- improviser. John Coltrane was an beautiful. Through his instrument, the
up-groove tempo and #415 is a slower illusionist, a musical magician. He tenor saxophone, he pontificated as he
bluesy tempo. was the kind of player that could and spoke directly to me: “This is for An-
Now, in 1994, I have released still would make you think you had heard drew White in Washington, D.C., the
another version that is in between the him play something up until the time one saxophone player/musician who
other two live versions, tempo-wise, you actually saw a transcription of it. can appreciate the beauty of the se-
that is. WJC#492, also from November And even then, after seeing the differ- quence with all of its vocal qualities
19, 1962, and also performed in ence in what he played and what you and operatic proclivities as stated by
Stockholm, Sweden, completes the thought he played, you could even Guiseppi Verdi in his Te Deum (Hymn
Live-Traneing In Trilogy. We now have, imagine hearing him chuckle while of Praise). This is for you, Andrew,
in addition to the original 1957 ver- saying, “I got ‘cha.” even though you won’t hear it until
sion, three tempi for Traneing In: slow Trane could play little things that twenty-five years after I’m deceased.
(#415), groove (#492), and faster would have you walking around When you do encounter it, know that I
(#409). This, sets the stage for me to singing them for days at a time and played it just for you. All the best to
tell you a little story about one of my you’d never realize that they were you in your life and work. I am John
deepest and darkest secrets. Ready? counterfeit until you saw them written Coltrane and this is November 19,
Here it ’tis! down somewhere months later. 1962 in Stockholm, Sweden, the sec-
Even I, with my infinite wisdom, ond concert of the evening.”
The Bridge to Chorus Number Two abundant gifts of genius, and out- So, sure enough, in December of
From my earliest encounters with standing good looks, have had the 1992, While I was compiling the work
the music of John Coltrane back in uncanny ability to transcribe at least tapes for this new series of Coltrane
1957, I have been transfixed by his one improvisor ’s solo up to eight transcriptions, I came across this tape
sound, regardless of the period or straight measures without hearing the of a concert in Stockholm that listed a
stage in his development. Throughout music. But for John Coltrane, neither performance of Traneing In. I knew I
his career, before and since his pass- then nor now, could I ever predict hadn’t heard it before, so I decided to
ing, I have always had the secret de- more than two notes that Mr. Coltrane give it a hearing. With great curiosity
sire to hear Mr. John Coltrane play a would play in succession. The man and anticipation, I sat there with my
“sequence” a half-step lower. A se- just didn’t think or play like anybody ears wide open.
2 March/April 1996
There it was. The grooving McCoy years of waiting, all I could come up
Tyner piano solo leading up to the hip with was Ha! Ha! Ha!
Jimmy Garrison plucked and bowed But, what was there in that “bridge to
bass solo and then, here he came, my chorus number two” was the typical wry
hero John Coltrane. It was just like the humor of who I thought and still think
good old days when I used to hear is the greatest contributor to the linguis-
Trane play at Abart’s Lounge on 9th tic aspect of jazz improvisation, John
Street Northwest in Washington, D.C. Coltrane. And with the expression on his
playing all of that fantastic saxophone face that is housed on the cover of his
in 1962. Read my book about album, Trane’s First Ride, Oberon 5100,
Coltrane’s music, Trane ‘n Me ($11, $15 John Coltrane again spoke directly to me
non-USA) for a full account of those in his own musical and magical way,
days. while chuckling, “I got cha again, An-
Anyway, back to Traneing In. I sat drew, but it was still for you.”
back and listened intently to the first Now another punch line may still be
chorus of Trane’s great solo. Then he in the wings. As for the Verdi piece, Te
started the second chorus: twelve Deum, it is one of the most beautiful
great bars, twelve more great bars, and pieces of music I’ve ever played in my
then it came and hit me like a bolt of life and it has a pure sequence in it, I
lightening: the bridge to chorus num- think, but I haven’t heard this piece
ber two, with my sequence. It was since I played it on the English horn in a
unbelievable! I was ecstatic as I sat full symphony orchestra at Tanglewood
back in 1963 or 1966. I can’t remember
there and cried with joy. It had hap-
which year. That’s the punch line! After
pened. My dream had come true after
nearly thirty years, was it a pure se-
nearly thirty-five years of waiting. I
quence? Did I think it was? Did I hope it
had heard a sequence played by John
was? Or was Guiseppi Verdi chanting
Coltrane! I let the tune finish all the
from his grave, “I got cha, too, Andrew!”
while I was sitting there with glazed
§
eyes like a kid at Christmas time. What
a Christmas present, right? And it was
December, 1992. My life and love had
been fulfilled some thirty-five years
after I had experienced my first dream
of hearing Mr. Coltrane play a se-
quence. Goodness gracious, what a
thrill!
Well, on March 24, 1993, I sat down to
complete and realize my dream. That’s
the day I transcribed my Coltrane solo
number #492 Tranein’ In. It was a great
day in my life after thirty-five years as I
eagerly awaited to see the transcription
of the “the bridge to chorus number
two.” Seeing is believing.
Now, being that y’all are seasoned
Andrew White readers, you’ve probably
guessed by now that I’ve got one heavy
punch line for ya, right? Right! So, here
’tis! It twern’t no sequence at all. No! It
sounded like one! Mr. Coltrane had
gotten me again. I broke out laughing,
hysterically. I even went academic like
some high browed theorist. As I contin-
ued to “bust out laffin’ “ I tried all kinds
of stuff to “make dat bridge be just
right” for me, but it just wouldn’t work.
I analyzed, rationalized, theorized, and
even fantasized again my “pure”
Coltrane sequence, but it just weren’t
dere. Poor laughin’ me. After thirty-five
Saxophone Journal 3